Firemen hose down political correctness (letter)

by Name and address supplied

News Weekly, April 3, 2010

Sir,

Imagine if you will, that you are a six-foot, 14-stone fireman fighting a serious fire. Your buddy collapses due to smoke inhalation. You carry him to safety and quite rightly receive a gong at Parliament House.

Imagine if you will, that you are a six foot, 14-stone fireman. You are fighting a serious fire when suddenly you collapse due to smoke inhalation. Your buddy, all of five foot and nine stone, tries to drag you to safety. She herself is overcome by the smoke and collapses over your motionless body.

You both receive a gong and a state funeral. The Victorian state Labor Government's Minister for Women's Affairs, Maxine Morand, gives the eulogy and speaks glowingly of the role of women in the workplace.

Perhaps the above scenarios explain why the United Firefighters Union (UFU) is telling its members to resist the Brumby Labor Government's gender-inclusion action plan to increase the number of women firefighters.

The launch, on March 9, of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) action plan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was the day after International Women's Day.

Scheduled to speak at the launch was Maxine Morand, the responsible minister, but she cancelled at the last minute. Her parliamentary secretary Danielle Green MP was sent in her place and pleaded that the minister was tied up.

Ms Green was reportedly seen speaking "in an animated fashion" to MFB president Adrian Nye after Mr Nye speculated, in a speech at the MCG, on the reasons for Ms Morand's absence. He alleged that a UFU official had rung the minister's office and warned her against attending. ("Sparks fly over fire brigade's attempts to recruit more women", The Age, March 13).

Ms Morand could lose her seat of Glen Waverley at Victoria's next state election with a swing of only 0.32 per cent. The UFU had reportedly previously campaigned in the Altona by-election, held on February 13 this year.